Over the last few years, Jajemelo Pizza has emerged as one of Kenya’s fastest-growing local pizza brands.
The fast-food franchise is owned by Dr. Berry Odhiambo (Dr. Berry O.), who also serves as the Chief Executive Officer, while James Omondi serves as the general manager.
Jajemelo Pizza specializes in making and selling pizzas. The name Jajemelo means ‘That of Great Sweetness’, a Jambolo original name.
Branches
Jajemelo Pizzas is headquartered at Alpha House, which is based in the heart of Kisumu CBD. Aside from Kisumu, the company also has many other branches countrywide.
These include Business Square Bay Mall in Nairobi, Mega City Mall in Kisumu, West Side Mall in Nakuru, Mombasa Mall in Mombasa, and Mega Mall in Kakamega.
Other branches in Nairobi include Kamakis, Githurai, and Thindigua.
Since its establishment, the fast-food chain has slowly been turning the tables in a field that has historically been dominated by foreign companies like Domino’s, Gallitos, Pizza Inn, among others.
Jajemelo offers various service options such as dine-in, delivery, and takeaway. Many of the franchise’s branches provide options for casual lunch, dinner, solo dining, and event catering.
Many customers flock to Jajemelo because of the restaurant’s provision of free street parking for additional convenience.
Opening 17th branch
In 2024, Jajemelo Pizza opened its 17th outlet in Kisumu.
During the ceremony, the company’s sales and Communication manager, Flavian Bridgit, stated that the company’s success was due to its ability to take advantage of existing market gaps.
According to her, Jajemelo’s management realized that there was a gap that left out farmers from the supply chain of the lucrative market of fast food franchises in Kisumu and other major towns in Kenya.
She stated that although Kenya’s farmers do what is expected of them and produce enough, most of the farm produce goes to waste.
She added that most of the foreign fast food companies adhere to the strict standards that require their raw materials to be imported from outside the country.
This situation forced Jajemelo’s management to establish a franchise that would easily cater for local farmers who are producing quality produce but find it challenging to adhere to the international threshold that has been set up by other foreign companies.
Bridgit added that a sense of community social responsibility also prompted the management to open the franchise.
“When you go into some of these foreign fast food joints, you’ll find our generation Z dotting the tables, enjoying their meals, but how much is ploughed back into society?” she queried.
Sponsoring students
Currently, Jajemelo sponsors over 1500 students across various secondary schools and institutions of higher learning across Kenya.
Bridgit advised Kenyan farmers to organize themselves and form saccos that will enable them to have a higher market share, especially because they can pool together a large volume of farm produce as opposed to going it alone.
Jajemelo restaurants, which operate every day from 8.00 am to 10.00 pm, are considered family-friendly.
They accept various payment options, including debit cards and NFC mobile money payments.
Aside from Jajemelo, Kisumu is home to several other popular Pizza Houses.
These include Winner’s Pizza, which is located at Hass Petrol Station and has been operating for more than 15 years.
Mimi Plaza is another popular pizza franchise in Kisumu, located at Mega Plaza, Ground Floor, Oginga Odinga Street.